Spring-wheel.



D. CAVE.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1914.

L15@.,3'?3, Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

DANIEL CAVE, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR 0F (ENE-THIRD T0 HAROLD M.GEORGE AND ONE-THIRD Ti) HENRY BOWMAN, BOTH 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

SPRING-VIHEEL.

essrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (bet. as, rent.

Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 2334;423.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL CAVE, a citizenof the United States, residing at 821' road shocks and prevent thetransmission of the same to the body of the vehicle and the passengers,at the same time doing away with the usual expensive and troublesomepneumatic tires without sacrificing any of the advantages of the lastnamed tires.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a springwheel embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diainetrical sectionthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of thesprings detached.

The spring wheel contemplated in this invention comprises a hub A, afelly B and a series of involute springs C which are used in lieu of theusual. connecting spokes between the hub and felly. Each of the springsC is in the form of an involute coil and sweeps through an entirecircle, each of said sprin C being connected to the rim or felly B atthe point 1 and being connected to the hub A at the point 2, it beingnoted that the points of attachment 1 and 2, in the preferred embodimentof this invention, lie in a common line 3 which is radial to the centerof the wheel as shown in Fig. 1. It is an essential feature of thisinvention that each spring C sweeps at least once entirely around thehub A or, in other words, entirely around the space within the felly Bas otherwise the full resilient action necessary will not be obtained.By passing each spring at least once entirely around the hub, the fullresiliency of each spring will be obtained and furthermore all of thesprings will contribute and mutually assist each other in yieldinglysupporting the hub within the felly or conversely of the felly aroundthe hub.

Referring now to Fig. 2 it will be observed that each of the springs Cis laterally inclined or oblique with respect-to an imaginary linepassing centrally through the hub and felly as indicated by the lines o,d. This oblique or laterally inclined disposition of each spoke assistsin the lateral bracing of the wheel as a whole and prevents the lateralbreaking down or collapse of the wheel, each of the springs C beingrelatively wide as shown. in Figs. 2 and 3. It will also be observed inFig. 2 that each spring is provided at its inner end with a knuckle stand at its outer end with a knuckle 5, the knuckle 4 being confinedbetween a fixed flange 6 of the hub A. and a separable flange 7 usuallysecured in place by a nut 8 or its equivalent screwing on the main bodyof the hub A. The knuckle t is secured by means of atapering key or bolt9 having a retaining nut 10 on its smaller end. The knuckle 5 at theouter end of each spoke is confined between the lugs or cars 11 on therim or felly B and secured by a tapering bolt, pin orkey 12 onthesmaller end of which is a retaining nut 13. It is also desired to usecompression grease cups in connection with each of the knuckles a and 5so as to constantly and automatically lubricate the joints between theouter extremities of the springs and the folly and the inner extremitiesof said springs and hub thus pro ducing a quiet running and highlyresilient wheel.

The shape and arrangement of the springs as herein set forth affords amaximum amount of resiliency and freedom of movement in any and alldirections in which said movement is desirable while strengthening thewheel laterally so asto enable it to ef-. fectively sustain end thrustsof the axles of the wheels. Furthermorethe springs may not touch eachother no matter how great the shocks to which the wheels may be subjected, this being due to the particular shape and relative arrangementof the springs. It will also be observed that as one end portion of eachspring closes under a blow inn-4 parted t0 the wheel, the opposite endportion of the spring opens so that a double action of each-spring isobtained under each and every impact or blow and the strain isdistributed throughout the entire series of springs. The construction ofthe Wheel is also exceedingly light and strong and the cost ofmanufacture is reduced to a minimum. The number of springs may heincreased or diminished in accordance with the stresses to be placedupon the wheel thus adapting. the Wheel to any kind or weight ofvehicle. The knuckles at the inner extremities of the springs are ofgreater length than the knuckles at the outer extremities thereof andfurthermore, the inner series of knuckles project to a greater extent atone side of the springs than at the other side thereof and it Will alsohe noted that the springs are so arranged as to incline alternately toopposite sides laterally with respect to the wheel so that the innerknuckle of one spring projects at one side and the knuckle of the nextadjacent spring projects at the opposite side. By means of thisarrangement of the springs and knuckles, only a single annular series ofbolts is required to connect-the inner extremities of the springs to thehub and all of said knuckles are arranged in a common vertical plane.

What I claim is A spring wheel comprising a hub, a felly, and a circularseries of involute springs of uniform width terminally attached theretoand forming spokes between said hub and felly eaeh of said springsextending entirely" around the hub and being inclined laterally withrespect to a line passing centi'ally through the hub and felly, knucklesat the outer. extremities of said springs, knuckles of greater length atthe inner extremities of said springs, the last named knuckles having agreater projection at one side of their springs than at the other sidethereof, and the springs being arranged to incline alternately inopposite directions, and a singleannular series of bolts all arranged inthe same vertical plane and connecting the inner knuckles to the hub.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL CAVE.

Witnesses:

LILLIE Bowman, J. IV. I'IARGREAVHS.

